M. SHAFIK GABR, chairman of ARTOC and his wife recently celebrated the publication of The Shafik Gabr Collection, a new book documenting the Egyptian financier’s impressive compilation of Orientalist paintings. More than 200 friends, admirers and art experts from around the world gathered at the Pratt Mansion on Park Avenue for an intimate candlelit cocktail party. The New York affair is the first in a series of seven events that will celebrate the publication in London, Paris, Cairo, Istanbul, Washington and Los Angeles.
Gabr began collecting as a way to chronicle the different interpretations of his region by Western artists. Form his first purchase in Paris in 1993: Ludwig Deutsch’s Egyptian Entering a Temple, the painstaking process of choosing significant pieces for his collection has become an enduring passion. Of his collection he has written, “For me it is more than simply a collection of paintings; it represents a personal journey I have made, a passion I have and a message I want to pass on.” This message includes the cultural exploitation of Middle Eastern and North African art by European explorers. North Africa was an important cultural center even before Greco-Roman times. It preludes Western culture by millennia and its ancient essence continues to thrive today. SA

THE NEW CO-DIRECTORS OF ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH, Annette Schonholzer and Mark Spiegler held their first official event for Art Basel 2008 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. Members of the Junior and Senior Host committees came out to welcome the Swiss directors and other Art Basel management including Sasha Nitikin, Lauren Taschen, Stephanie Reed and Philipa Suhr. Overlooking the golf course, under the stars, guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres courtesy of the Biltmore’s Fontana Ristorante. The host was Biltmore’s chairman Robert B. Kay who made this night an unforgettable start for one of the world’s most important art fairs. Guests included Ago Demirdjian, Tiqui Atencio from the Tate Museum in London, Iran Issa-Kahn, Rafael and Marijean Miyar and a selection of local and international art collectors. SA

WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS A LOVE FOR THE ARTS—and remembering it. Pamela Fiori and Janet Carlson recently released new books, both of which are vehicles of recollection; for Fiori, it’s the photography of a friend and for Carlson, the art of dance.
Town & Country editor Pamela Fiori’s title is Stolen Moments: The Photographs of Ronny Jaques. Regarded as one of the most influential magazine photographers of his generation, Jaques’ photography is showcased in this compilation of his works. While his style is instantly recognizable, Fiori’s book delves into the lesser-known story of the man behind the lens. The 1950s were his heyday, along with contemporaries Richard Avedon, Lillian Bassman and Horst. Jaques’ work appeared in such magazines as Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, Holiday and Gourmet. Fiori and Jaques became close friends after first meeting in 1972. Sadly, Jaques passed away this past summer at the age of 98. His art is remembered in these pages.
Quick, Before the Music Stops: How Ballroom Dancing Saved My Life is the work of Janet Carlson. It tells the story of how she reconnected with the art of dance. Having been a competitive ballroom dancer in her 20s, Carlson abandoned the art in pursuit of her career as an editor and to raise her family. While gaining so much, she didn’t realize what she had lost: the sense of balance and grace in her life. After 20 years away, Carlson returned to the dance studio and realized what a vital part of her life it was.
To celebrate the two releases, Harry Slatkin, president of Slatkin & Co. and Home Design at Limited Brands, and his wife, Laura, hosted a cocktail party at their Upper East Side townhouse. SA

By Lázaro Pérez-Moré

Mark di Suvero is one of the world’s leading contemporary artists. His massive sculptures have graced museums and exhibition spaces all over the world. A master of abstract expressionism, di Suvero’s work speaks of the relationship between the mundane and the sublime, marking time with each installation and creating a record of our time for posterity. His early works were sculpted out of industrial remains, such as railroad ties, tires, scrap metal and structural steel. His artistic development has taken him over time to concentrate on I-beams and heavy gauge metal. Many of his pieces include a considerable amount of mobility allowing the viewer to change the perspective and enjoy different views of the same object. Perspective is one of the most important aspects in the art of sculpture and in this exhibit, viewers can interact with the pieces from different angles, experiencing a different form every time.
Di Suvero’s enormous steel works will be on display at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden towering over the garden’s world famous flowering trees and vines, lush rainforest and bustling butterfly garden. The exhibition consists of five massive pieces, including the never before exhibited Olompali, a 30-foot high sculpture making its international debut before being shipped to China, where it will be on permanent display at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The other pieces in the show are as impressive: Gnarly, Rust Angel, Neruda’s Gate and She, an interactive piece 52-feet wide. “Mark di Suvero is an incredibly accomplished artist, and we are thrilled to bring his work to South Florida,” said Bruce Greer, president of the board of trustees at Fairchild. “Fairchild’s unique landscape will provide the perfect backdrop to truly reveal these massive structures’ complexity and scale.”
From December 6 to May 31, the vast spaces of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden will serve as the perfect setting for di Suvero’s work establishing a complementing relationship between the industrial and the organic. “Historically, art and nature have always been linked, and people who enjoy one, generally enjoyed the other,” continues Greer. The Mark di Suvero exhibition is funded by the Aaron I. Fleischman Fundation. SA

For more information about this exhibition, visit www.fairchildgarden.org

By Lucy Bahamonde

FROM FEBRUARY 4–8, the Palm Beach County Convention Center will be abuzz with art dealers and collectors during the American International Fine Art Fair. This year fair creators have organized an amazing array of exceptional works of art, antiques and jewelry from more than 90 prestigious exhibitors from 13 countries. The event was once again recognized by The Art Newspaper as the only five-star art and antique fair in the U.S. and has been likened to an American version of Europe’s famed annual fine art fair in Maastricht. Pauline Boardman, Mario Buatta, Thomas Quick, and Hilary and Wilbur Ross are co-chairs of the Collectors and Connoisseurs Committee.
Among this year’s roster of amazing galleries and dealers are: Adelson Galleries (New York) Brenske Gallery (Munich), Derek Johns (London), Galerie Cazeau-Beraudiere (Paris), Goedhuis Contemporary (New York), Galería de Arte Antiguo (Madrid), Moretti Fine Arts, Ltd. (Florence, London, New York), Tai Gallery (Santa Fe), and Wienrroither & Kohlbacher (Vienna). The variety of dealers coming to Palm Beach this season enhances the international character of the Fair, which caters to the local art collector as well as worldly connoisseurs who will be our guests for a few balmy days in the middle of winter. “The experience of a midwinter visit to Palm Beach is a special experience onto itself,” says David Lester.
The fair, which shows artwork from all periods and disciplines, as well as the largest collection of period and haute couture jewelry, is unique for its scope and international projection. Some of the most interesting and dazzling jewelry showcases will come from acclaimed firms Buccellati, David Morris, Gioia, Graff, Harry Winston, Richters, Sabbadini, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Veronique Bamps. “Within the realm of art and antique fairs, the Palm Beach event is globally recognized as America’s most glamorous and elegant art & antique fair,” says David Lester, who founded the event in 1977 with his wife Lee Ann. “This event has progressed greatly since its inception. Yet the growth is due more to the superb quality of the artwork displayed—the event provides a unique, elegant yet intimate atmosphere which makes possible a special interaction between the dealers and collectors,” continues Lester.
The growth of this event is made even more evident when we recall the first installment, conducted under the canopy of a temporary facility on Flagler Avenue in 1997. This year organizers will offer a full slate of daily activities for fair visitors. The impressive art and beautiful surroundings are sure to make this year’s event one of the most memorable to date. Many will be able to participate of the vibrant cultural and social Palm Beach life during their visit. On February 3 the fair will commence with a private Vernissage sponsored by legendary jewelers Van Cleef & Arpels, while the Norton Museum will feature the works of Georgia O’Keefe and Ansel Adams concurrently. Organizers and dealers will host a tribute to regional museum directors who have made special contributions to the cultural community in the Southeast United States. Among the honorees are John Blades, from the Flagler Museum, Christina Orr-Cahall, from the Norton Museum and Myra Janco Daniels, from the Naples Musuem of Art.
International connoisseurs, collectors and curators join the Palm Beach cultural elite for four days of discussion, enjoyment and collecting, while they give in to the sublime power of art. SA

For more information visit www.aifaf.com

By Liz Shaw

HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED AND WONDERED where the world of fashion would be without the eye of the camera lens? Luscious fabrics and jaw-dropping designs fitted over some of the most striking bodies on the planet certainly make an impression, but it is photography that makes that impression last. Fashion photographers not only capture the beauty and art of design, but also take it to another level through their own art form. They take fashion off the runway and captivate our imagination on glossy paper. Never has the marriage between fashion photography and art been more evident than during the acclaimed exhibition, In Fashion Photo.
In its second year, In Fashion Photo ran during Art Basel Miami Beach 2008, featured more than 250 contemporary works of photographic art by more than 35 of the world’s top fashion photographers. In the spotlight, the Naomi Campbell Retrospective collection showcased spectacular images of the supermodel throughout her more than 15 years in the limelight, taken by some of today’s most revered photographers including Gilles Bensimon, Patrick Demarchelier, Arthur Elgort, Simon Harris, Seb Janiak, David LaChapelle, Mario Testino, Michael Thompson, Ellen von Unwerth, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, among others. The fashion icon herself made an appearance to open the exhibition during the exclusive Vernissage.
Naomi’s electric career and the photographs that capture her essence epitomize the spirit of fashion photography. Much of the featured photography for In Fashion Photo played with creative imagery, pushing the line between reality and fantasy. The featured works by Alix Malka reflected his skilled fascination with capturing color and skin against water, submerging his subjects in a gravity-defying world. The colorful photography of the duo Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello is known and loved by top fashion magazines for its distinct style and splash of surrealism. Simon Procter, who was a sculptor and painter for many years before becoming a photographer, now applies his unique style by creating fashion photography with a painterly aesthetic for such glossies as V Magazine and Voque Nippon, as well as for The Boston Museum of Fine Art, to name a few.
“The time of art speaking through only paintings and sculptures is over,” said Francois Trabelsi, founder of Art Photo Expo Miami and In Fashion Photo. “Today, photography is one of the most artistic representations of both society and contemporary art as it captures raw emotion and immortalizes a moment in time.” Through this dynamic exhibition, the goal is to project a new look at fashion photography, showcasing the industry pioneers alongside upcoming talent. Among the photographers displayed were Slim Aarons, Miles Aldridge, Olivia Beasley, Michael Dweck, Arthur Elgort, Charles Frèger, Erwan Frotin, Alice Hawkins, Steve Hiett, Greg Kadel, Markus Klinko & Indrani, Alix Malka, Simon Procter, Bettina Rheims, Sofia Sanchez & Mauro Mongiello.
In Fashion Photo took place in Miami’s Design District within a unique 30,000 square-foot open-air space. Dupoux Design succeeded in converting a municipal parking lot into a grassy wonderland punctuated with walkways and water elements, transporting art and fashion enthusiasts into a fantastical world on par with those created in the displayed photography. Having drawn worldwide attention since its 2007 debut, the now 2-year-old In Fashion Photo has affirmed its place during Miami’s biggest week of art celebration. SA